Just Checking Up! Part Thirty-One: The Secret of Two Parents!

Silks:

A gloved hand shook me awake at my kitchen counter, my leather bag swinging in Shal’s other hand. Yawning groggily, our journey together was set to begin. Popping to my feet, my worn Victorian style black boots matched my current soft mood. Adjusting the silk burgundy suit he gifted me, the Victorian details would permit me to fit in a bit better. Giving birth a couple of weeks ago landed me with a flat stomach and milk heavy breasts. Don’t forget the slightly wider hips, a bit of shame dimming my eyes.

“Must you worry about your appearance so much.” Shal sighed in adorable concern, my tired grin meeting his sweet smirk. “Forgive me for making you sound conceited. That’s not what I meant to say.” Waving away his frets, a migraine threatened to throb to life. Imagining my twins’ smiles, our dear boy had been named Herbio. Donning a version of grandfather’s name was an honor, the sweet baby girl receiving a darling name of Sallisana to celebrate the closest woman I had to a mother. Smiling softly to myself, another image of Avery hugging them both centered my soul.

“Listen to me, you are family. Bringing Avery to me is the best thing you could have done. Before that, no one but Rip held me together. Coming home to his stories brings me back down from my shadowy place of impending panic attacks.” I thanked him sincerely, inky tears welling up in his eyes. “Whenever you need me, my ears and heart are open. Don’t forget that, alright? Our next kid will be getting named after you, by the way.” Stiffening in his abrupt embrace, an ounce of hurt diffused the light in his eyes. Seconds from releasing me, an awkward hug back returned his usual twinkle. Fine scarlet velvet brushed against my cheek, his warmth dissolving any stiffness. Stepping back at the same time, his fingers scratched at the back of his neck.

“Affection is a touchy subject for me.” I apologized with my genuine smile, half of his stress melting away. “Bad past and all, you know? What I got from that is the ability to see the true good in people. You are as good as they come.” Too stunned to speak, someone hadn’t been treated well. Clapping his hands, Linz leapt into my arms at the last second. My kitchen began to fade, a sea of decaying brick Dutch colonials taunted me. Shifting uncomfortably next to me, something had him frightened. Sniffing the air, a sickly sweet scent threw me off. Summoning a couple of carved stakes, a slice of palms on the sharp edge of the closet brick woke orange flames.

“Why does it smell so damn sweet?” I queried calmly, my tone drawing back a bit of his composure. “I thought rot meant a demon’s presence.” Chewing on his bottom lip, a long breath bounced off of his tongue. Laughing nervously, his expression was a carbon copy of Rip. Digging at the dirt, an answer took a minute to be found. What trauma lay buried beneath the encroaching words?

“The bastard got a little too big for his britches.” He began anxiously, embarrassment not permitting him to look me in my eyes. “Trapping here keeps him at bay, but he keeps dragging souls into here. Devouring them cannot be permitted. Have you ever seen a crazed demon with nothing left to save them?” Despair haunted his eyes, guilt sneaking in.

“So, you need me to kill him for you?” I suggested through a blundering stammer, the leather of his gloves creaking with every clench of his fists. “The order is yours, Shal.” Waiting patiently, his wet eyes met mine. Leaning against the closest building, booms thundered in the far distance.

“Unfortunately, consequences led to that conclusion.” He confessed dejectedly, my hand patting his shoulder doing little to ease his sorrow. “Maybe you can bring him back but doubt lies in my mind.” One never knows if they don’t try, I thought stiffly to myself.

Charging blindly into the town of brick, the source of the dark energy called out to me. Smiling freely, jobs like these allowed me to forget the thorns of my past. Catching up to me, curiosity glistened in Shal’s eyes. Skidding to a stop in front of the sole standing home, lights flickered on the second floor. Kicking the door off of its hinges, wood shattered to millions of shards. Wet carpet sloshed underneath every footfall, a glow underneath a damn door giving away their position. Pushing it open cautiously, a twitching shadowy form glitched in the corner.

“Hey, buddy.” I sang cheerfully, thousands of milky eyes snapping in my direction. “Do you want to talk about it?” Rows of fangs shone in the light of a crackling fire, a single roar smashing me into a wall of horrible striped wallpaper. Sliding down, the impact burst a couple of organs. Choking on a glob of blood, a coughing fit painted the borrowed suit. Struggling to my feet, a paralyzed Shal shivered outside of the room. Banging on a wall of energy, the battle had been sealed in.

“Talking out of the question, huh?” I shot back sarcastically, a stab into the wall turned the space into a furnace. “One step out and boom goes your body. Thankfully, I don’t get torched anymore. Shall we play?” Dodging its next attack with ease, sparks danced with every violent clash via his intense long claws. Fighting ten swords at once wasn't fun, three false hearts beating around the true one. Sliding underneath him, a flick of my wrist landed it in two of the three hearts. Pushing off the burning floor, a spin in the air confused him enough for me to pierce his true heart. Digging my heels into his back, his seizing threatened to buck me off. Flamios intensified my flames, his body decaying to ash. Catching his soul, the damn thing bounced around my cupped palms.

“Hey God, I don’t know if you are listening but grant this soul a second chance at life. If they screw up again, they can come back here. Please!” I sobbed graciously, the darkness dripping out of my fingers. Throwing it into the air, a warm gust swept it away. Sinking to my knees, a squeeze of my palm reopened my cut. Watching it pool, Shal tracked me drawing my cleansing circle. Tracing the symbols from memory, a slam of my palms woke them up.

“Not sure if I have a basis here but cleanse the shadows from this lovely slice of paradise!” I chanted boldly between coughing fits, waves of flames perishing any dark demons within a one hundred mile radius. Watching in pure wonder, bright orange lilies bloomed around us. Orange flames crackled as the petals, his slender fingers picking one.

“Can I ask you something? Would you mind taking over for me when I am forced to retire in about five years? We can only serve as kings or queens for about five centuries.” He asked me bluntly, his ruby eyes staring into mine gently. “You don’t ha-” Raising my hand, his own son wasn’t too far away from him. Narrowing my eyes in bewilderment laced confusion, his hand landed on his hips. Clearing his throat, a clap of his hands landed us inches from a silver reflection pool. Shock rounded my eyes, his offer slapping me in the face.

“What!” I shouted over the rose shaped fountains, water trickling to my feet. “Why would you pick me and not h-” Motioning for me to sit at a black rose metal table, gravity won as I collapsed into the matching chair. Summoning a steaming pot of tea and two tea cups with a single wave of his hand, the simple black pots spoke of his timid nature.

“Rip would never be ready without you by his side. You can’t have my castle, that stays mine. The dumb rule was set in place to keep the democracy of Hell going. You could even make your cabin the headquarters, although I recommend you find a place down here to live about half the time.” Acting as if I had said yes, the slam of my palms rattled his dishes. Shaking my head, more weight had been placed on my shoulders.

“No way in Hell would I ever take that pos-” I began to protest, his stern gaze shutting me down. Pouring me a cup calmly, his humming pissed me off beyond wit’s end. Flipping through what to say in his head, his kind smirk stole away anger burning in my heart.

“If you don’t take the position, I freaking die.” He confessed numbly, his fingers drumming on the table. “Everyone before me refused to step down and suffered the fate of an exploding heart. Not one cell of me wants to die again. I can’t do that. So much family brightens my life. Surely you can see that as well, Miss Silks.” Sipping at my tea, the perfectly brewed green and black tea trickled down my throat. Sighing in pure euphoria, pride shone strong in his eyes.

“Count on me to take that role once I am done with the cult, okay. Juggling Hell and that bullshit is a bit too much for my plate. Should you find yourself dying sooner, crown me.” I assured him brightly, my genuine smile winning him over. “Those grandchildren need you around, correct? Oh, I know. How about you give me lessons about Hell? Teach me all you know. The honor would be mine to learn.” Inky blood cascaded from his eyes, his teacup shattering across the table. Beginning to pick up the pieces, his hand cupping mine gave me pause.

“Why do you care so much? Most demons would let me die.” He wept openly, every harsh emotion breaking his internal dam. “Such matters shouldn’t plague a young demon.” Leaning back in my chair, my legs crossed along with my arms. Coursing through what to say, a chew on my bottom lip not helping me in the slightest.

“Then everyone needs a wake up call because the Hell I want to run is a redemption mill. Not for the super bad people, of course.” I returned playfully, a bit of life flashing in his downtrodden eyes. “Like I said, call me when you need a cleansing. I don’t care if it is in the middle of the night. Can I ask a favor of you? Do you know who my parents are or do you have a library of every single demon?” Grinning mischievously ear to ear, a clap of his hands tossed us into a Gothic Victorian style library. Catching me before I hit the floor, his grin never left his features.

“All of this will belong to you and only you!” He announced triumphantly, my resolve proving to have a solid reward. “Now just a drop of your blood, please.” Presenting my palm, a prick and a snap of his fingers sent a couple of burgundy balls zooming off. Ruffling my hair, inky tears danced down my cheeks. Don’t cry now, or you will look like a damn fool. Sensing a fatherly energy about him, a tap of his fingers only furthered that.

“Considering who the hell you married, you are technically my daughter. Hold onto that smile, kiddo.” He laughed lightly, his head cocking down to look at me. “Please don’t cry or you might get me started. How about I help you guys out when time permits. Freedom has never been closer. Has anyone told you that you are a lighthouse on a stormy night? No matter how horrible the waves are, your soul shines brighter than the darkest turmoil.” Touched by his words, others made a point to clear that up.

“So my past sins shouldn’t haunt me.” I shot back shakily, the playful tone turning it into a joke. “Turning into this kicked me out of Heaven, and killing Rip to place him by my side nearly tore me to shreds. Any kiddo would have been lucky to have you as a father.” Bowing my head in shame, his palm grabbing the top of my head forced me to stop the downward mental spiral. Pulling my head back gently, his cocky grin reminded me of Rip’s in those stolen moments.

“Where’s the fun in that, kiddo?” He mused blithely, his thumb wiping away my tears. “Heaven sounds like the most boring party. Can you fix what can’t be fixed? From what I observed, you need a job or something to keep those dark nightmares at bay.” Linz leapt onto my shoulder, his tail wagging a mile a minute. Scooping him off of my shoulder, his deep laughter echoed everywhere and nowhere. Two books landed in my open palms, his hands motioning for me to read the covers. The names Dade and Musette Shadows shimmered back up at me, every breath halting for longer pauses. Collapsing to my knees, the pages fluttered open to two pictures, a stunning orange haired female demon staring hotly at me. Her ruby eyes shifted with malice, my fingers tracing her matching violet lips and fingernails. Violet scales shimmered on her skin, her pointed ears looking longer than usual. Reading the notes, the word siren stood out. Flipping page after page revealed her crimes. Singing men to their death was nothing to her, all of it making sense. Placing that one to the side, a slicked back burgundy hairdo showed off a high level of cold severity. Silver eyes glared up at me, his fine suit annoying me to no end. Noting the usual inky black lips and fingernails, fangs hung over his bottom lips. Standing at six foot seven, his jet black flames doing the opposite of healing would make annihilating him an impossible task. Scanning her information, orange waves spoke of the color of my flames. Reading that they dissolved everything in their path, harsh words exploded off the tip of my tongue.

“No wonder you are powerful. That charm must come from the slight amount of siren blood.” He pointed out simply, his fingers scratching Linz’s belly. “What a good boy. How do you plan on eliminating them if their darkness hasn’t consumed them?” Slamming the books shut, a cloud of dust obscured them being put away. Cursing under my breath, the outlook wasn’t so great.

“First, I have to shake off a bug.” I answered simply, his brow rising in some sort of response. “That bullshit is a god damn mess. Unless he can take me to them. How do you win against what is opposite of what you do? Wits might help but they only get you so far.” Plopping down next to me, Linz snuggled into his lap. What a little traitor! Shal could use the affection more than me at the current moment.

“How about I send out a couple of my little spies to see their state? No promises of results. Demons of that level tend to have the best protection.” He offered pleasantly, his fingers playing with Linz’s fur. “Anyone willing to barter their freedom for mine is a hell of a champion. Not that being in charge of Hell is a prison. Perks find themselves.” Rolling my eyes, the job wouldn’t always be so freaking bad.

“Has anyone ever told you to take a chill pill?” I teased blithely, a weight having been lifted off of my chest. “If I can survive this mess, then ruling this place should be a piece of cake. Don’t worry about me.” Raising his hand, a quick dig had two fancy envelopes floating in the air. Catching them gingerly, his eager eyes told me to open them. Tearing them open, an invitation to some sort of ball intrigued me.

“Bring Rip down here and dance the night away. I am sure they would crash a royal party.” He suggested with a shrug, a lump forming in my throat. “Besides, the good demons are craving a party. What do you say, Miss Silks? I announce that you are to take the throne and the moths should find the flames.” Tapping my chin, his plan had merit. Shooting out a quick yes, his fist pumped in the air. Chattering away about details, his eyes never twinkled brighter. Basking in the moment, a flame of hope had ignited itself. May it rage strong and proud. Remembering everyone at home, a boom silenced him. Rip sprinted up to me, our twins and Avery seeming rather glued to him. Flitting his eyes between the two of us, his sweater floated up in a brief moment of earned annoyance. Setting Avery down, his body smashed into mine. The beginnings of fangs captured my attention, a bit of venomous terror sunk her claws into my heart. Clutching him close to my chest, a series of emotions crashed through me. Noting that he was slowly turning into a demon, a quiet panic lingered in the shadowy corner of my mind. Shaking away those nightmares of emotions, Avery informing me of his day rescued me from further mental chaos. Listening to every word gladly, the smaller world felt so lovely. Wondering when peace would make her guest appearance, that would probably be never. No, bad luck found her ass at my feet once more. Would God listen to a few demons? Trying couldn't kill us, right? Sending out a prayer simply had to be the next step. Dear Lord, please grant me the grace I need to survive this shitshow of a life.